The U.S. gets kudos all around the world for its heralded First Amendment rights, including the right to freedom of speech. Does the record suggest that? Let’s examine it. Years ago, during the last month of the 60’s, about four young brothers—including myself—went to the Spectrum, a huge arena in South Philly, to protest the appearance of Governor George Wallace of Alabama, who was there to give a speech in support of his presidential campaign. We viewed Wallace, an arch-segregationist, as a racist, and we wanted our voices to be heard. We shouted “Black power” in the arena and got rushed out by security guards and police. When we left, we were all beaten by plainclothes cops. All of us have scars on our bodies from injuries we sustained that night.
How free was free speech if we paid for it in blood, scars, and injuries? Fast forward to today, to the fall of 2024, when students were awakened to the genocidal carnage against Gazans in Palestine, for speaking and speaking out against Zionist violence against Palestinians. Many of these students were suspended or expelled from their schools. Some students had their job offers withdrawn. How free is free speech when students are expelled or their life careers are threatened?
And let’s look at this. Today, there are thousands and thousands of Latinos and Hispanics all across the country who are terrified of speaking their language, Spanish, in the streets of the United States for fear of being thrown into a car by men with masks, and then thrown into a cell, and then exported out of the country to God knows where. Does that sound like free speech to you? Free speech is a bourgeois promise that ignores more than it protects, and bourgeois promises make it real. Protect free speech. With love, not fear. This is Mumia Abu-Jamal
These commentaries are recorded by Prison Radio.
